Mr. Philip Martin's column "The deconstruction period" of Dec. 20 set me to thinking, yet not wanting to study his process of thought to his conclusion that "I don't know anything at all. And neither do you."
Instead I found myself wanting to explore the matter of knowledge.
I gravitated to my small pocketbook Color Oxford English Dictionary to explore the word "knowledge." It turned out to be a small journey which I share now, the offering of meanings which I edited for brevity's sake. Each definition led me to the next step.
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Knowledge (noun) information and awareness gained through experience or education. Information (noun) facts or details supplied to or learned by someone. Information technology (noun) use of computers and telecommunication for storing, retrieving, and sending information. Telecommunication (noun) technology concerned with long-distance communication by means of cables, telephone, broadcasting, satellite, etc. Think (verb) use or direct our mind.
Sense (noun) any of the powers of sight, smell, hearing, taste, and touch, which allow the body to perceive things. Observation (noun) the ability to notice important details. Wisdom (noun) the knowledge that a particular society or culture has gained over a period of time.
Intuition (noun) the ability to understand or know something without conscious reasoning. Belief (noun) a feeling that something exists or is true; a firmly held opinion; trust or confidence in; a religious faith. Faith (noun) complete trust or confidence; belief in a religion; a system of religious belief. Spirit (noun) the part of a person that consists of their character and feelings rather than their body; a supernatural being. Spirituality (noun) having to do with the human spirit as opposed to material or physical things. Truth (noun) a fact or belief that is accepted as true. Relativity (noun) ability to be judged only in comparison to something else; (physics) a description of matter, energy, space and time according to Albert Einstein's theories. Mystery (noun) something that is difficult or impossible to understand or explain.
It is time for me to rest and trust that some form of synthesis (noun), the combination of parts to form a connected whole, will take place.
Having taken a break to go outside and watch darkness becoming orange and pink on the eastern horizon, shades of blues changing rapidly (Heraclitus said that the only constant is change) and the moon and stars disappearing from my sight, I wondered how to conclude my findings. My husband says I always have to have the last word, and here it comes: Love.
Surprise! My little dictionary's definition of love as a noun falls way short, in my knowledge, experience and opinion. And it offers no verb definition. Love is, I suspect, the most powerful and mysterious of all concepts and is singular in value designation when action takes it over.
Now birds and squirrels are flitting and leaping around bare trees, the sun is blinding my computer screen, and I shall go watch for a few minutes more. Then I will read the newspaper in quiet, and observe all that we humans choose to do and what values we place on what all is given to us in our lives. And in our world.
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Judith Baum lives in North Little Rock.
Editorial on 01/07/2017